Gower loses captaincy, fined

Penrith halfback Craig Gower has been sacked as captain after the NRL club found him guilty of misconduct following a series of alcohol-fuelled incidents on the Sunshine Coast a fortnight ago.

The 27-year-old has also received a $100,000 fine - $70,000 of which was suspended. The rest of the money will go into an NRL program covering responsible use of alcohol by rugby league players.

Gower appeared before the Panthers board tonight after it was revealed he had groped the 18-year-old daughter of rugby league legend Wayne Pearce at a function during the Jack Newton Celebrity Golf Classic.